Almaty, 19 January 2005 (RFE/RL) -- A Kazakh court has convicted a senior member of an outlawed Islamic group to one year in jail.

ALMATY, Jan 19 (NCA) -- A Kazakh court today convicted a senior member of an outlawed Islamic group to one year in jail. The Associated Press quotes Hizb-ut-Tahrir member Sabit Musaliyev as saying a court in the southern city of Shymkent sentenced Vadim Berestov to jail for allegedly inciting inter-ethnic and religious discord. Kazakh authorities detained Berestov in December. His detention was criticized by rights groups. Hizb-ut-Tahrir seeks to establish an Islamic caliphate in Central Asia. The group claims to disavow violence. It is banned in several Central Asian countries and Russia. Uzbek authorities accuse the group of involvement in a series of bombings and attacks in Uzbekistan last year. (ap/nca)